Stanford remains No. 1 in new Relative Strength Factor rankings

A weekend loss was not enough to knock off Stanford from the top of the Off the Block Relative Strength Factor rankings.

Stanford despite losing in five games to No. 6 USC on Saturday was able to remain No. 1 for the second straight week in the new RSF rankings that Off the Block released Monday.

The RSF is a mathematical equation created by Off the Block to give an accurate representation of the best Division I-II men’s volleyball teams in the nation. The formula is similar to the Ratings Percentage Index used in other NCAA sports, but it is customized to reflect the differences in NCAA men’s volleyball.

The Cardinal (12-3, 9-2 MPSF) loss to the Trojans snapped a MPSF-best eight-match winning streak. USC (9-4, 7-4 MPSF) following the upset jumped up two spots to No. 4 in the RSF rankings.

Along with Stanford and USC, Lewis at No. 2, UC Irvine at No. 3 and UCLA at No. 5 round-out the top five of the RSF rankings.

The RSF will be updated each Monday on the Off the Block website throughout the regular season.

The RSF was created independently of the NCAA and is not one of the criteria the selection committee uses to determine the one at-large team and seeding for the NCAA Tournament. For more on how a team’s RSF is calculated, check out the full RSF formula breakdown.